


There's More To You Than I Knew

by Absolutelybatty



Category: Re-Animator (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Typical Violence, M/M, Work In Progress, medical gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:29:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22795573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Absolutelybatty/pseuds/Absolutelybatty
Summary: Beginning near the ending of The Re-Animator (1985), Dan allows Megan to escape the zombies on her own and turns back in order to rescue Herbert West. The couple is separated in order for Dan to continue his experiments with Herbert, leading to him learning a lot more about the man and himself along the way.
Relationships: Daniel Cain & Herbert West, Daniel Cain/Herbert West, Daniel Cain/Megan Halsey, meg is only there in the beginning tho then we get gay
Comments: 2
Kudos: 48





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This starts off with a lot of Megan X Dan but that doesn't last long so don't worry.

“Clear!” Dr. Harrod pressed the defibrillator panels against Herbert West’s pale chest, watching his body spasm from the shock, back arching off of the table.   
“Dammit, it’s not working.” Dan hissed, the panic wild in his eyes, unquelled by Megan’s attempts to calm his anxiety. The Dean’s daughter was nearly shaking in her nightgown as she watched the doctors hopelessly try to resuscitate West. Her cheeks were already stained with tears from all she’d experienced that night, from Hill’s harassment to having to watch her father be obliterated for her sake. It was a wonder that she’d made it to the elevator on her own, Dan having gone back to attempt and drag Herbert from Hill’s animated innards.   
“That’s it, call it.” Dr. Harrod had stopped her attempts, lips pursed.  
“Time of death: 3:14.” hearing one of the accumulated doctors announce this hit Dan far harder than he’d expected. His entire body felt numb. His tongue was too big for his mouth, his lungs didn’t want to draw in any air and his shoulders felt too heavy to stay upright.   
“Cain?” Harrod looked at him and seemed a bit surprised by his shell shocked expression, “Cain, I’m sorry. We’ll give you a minute to say your goodbyes.”  
Still not processing, Dan could only nod weakly while Dr. Harrod herded the other doctors from the room, glancing back at Dan with a suspicion she wasn’t sure she should voice stuck in her throat. Meg looked up at him, chewing her lip despite the fact the skin had split and was bleeding.  
“Dan?” her voice was meek, afraid that his pent up emotions may backfire onto her. After all, Herbert wouldn’t be dead if they had not come to save her.  
“He can’t be…” Cain’s voice fell silent, unwilling to even say aloud what had just happened. Even if he and Herbert had only known each other for a short time, he still felt a wretched emptiness spreading through the pit of his stomach.   
“I’m sorry, Danny.” in an attempt to comfort him, she gingerly slid her frame under his arm. He hugged her closer out of habit, but his eyes never left West’s mangled body.  
Herbert looked so different in death. Far more vulnerable than he’d ever seemed before. Despite his diminutive stature, the scientist had always moved with confidence that made him seem much larger and secure. His already pale skin was tinted with a blue overlay, interrupted only by flourishes of quickly darkening bruises. Dan hesitantly took his cold hand, pressing the knuckles against his forehead as a shocked sob left his mouth. The reality was finally sinking in, but with it was an idea. Dan straightened up, walking briskly past the confused Meg to Herbert’s medical bag. As soon as he opened it and she saw the neon green illuminate his face, she understood.   
“Danny, no!” Megan protested but Dan had a look of steeled determination on his face.   
“It has to work.” He decided, approaching the cadaver’s side again, the already filled syringe in his hand. Using his free hand, Cain rolled Herbert’s head forward and jarred the blood-splattered glasses off of his face. Steady despite his fear, Dan guided the needle into the back of Herbert’s head and depressed the plunger until all of the glowing solution was gone.   
For a moment, there was nothing. As soon as Dan had time to register his defeat, West’s eyes shot open. His head slammed against the hospital bed, jutting his pale throat out as bloody spittle left his barely parted lips. A gurgling sound accompanied his viscous spittle for a moment after before his eyes shifted to Dan.  
“Herbert?” Dan was unable to keep the excitement from his voice but was quickly jarred from the moment when Megan pulled him away from the still convulsing and nearly shrieking corpse.  
“Meg, what the hell-”  
“He’s going to attack you like the others!” Megan nearly shouted in his face, trying to shake some sense into him. Before he had a chance to reply, the fiancees were silenced by a raspy voice.  
“Daaaannnn….” Herbert’s voice was rougher than sandpaper, the veins on his neck pronounced with the effort of speaking.   
“Herbert!” without hesitation, Dan rushed to his side, “How do you feel?”  
“H-Hurts….” his cloudy green eyes squinted up at Dan, “my...ribs…..”  
“You’re pretty badly hurt.” he felt a lump forming in his throat, “I mean… Hill killed you.”  
“Kiiillllled….” the word sounded foreign in his mouth, brow creasing as he considered it’s meaning, “You… re-animated me?”  
“It worked.” Dan felt tears running down his cheeks but wasn’t entirely sure why he was crying. This was only a precursor to a greater catharsis he wouldn’t receive for a long time.   
“Oh, no, Dan?” Meg’s voice shook, her eyes trained on the blinds which filtered red and blue lines into the room, “the police are here. You cannot stay. There’s no way you could come up with something.”  
“Shit.” Dan straightened up again, considering his options.  
“You have to run. I’ll distract them while you make your getaway.” Megan suggested.  
“Where will we meet after that?” deep down, he already knew the answer. But seeing Megan’s eyes glisten with unshed tears made him far more aware.  
“Danny, we can’t meet up after that. You’ll be lucky if you can even stay in the state safely.”  
“Then you come with us.” he gripped her hands, “I love you.”  
“I love you too. And that’s… that’s why I can’t let you do this.” her voice quivered, eyes holding his for only a heartbeat.  
“Meg, I can’t leave the woman I love.” he protested again but was quickly silenced by a chaste kiss to the lips.  
“You’ll love again. But I can’t let you be stuck in prison when you’ve done nothing wrong. So run. Please, run.”   
There was a sound down the hall of people panicking and a silent understanding passed between the two of them that it was now or never. Herbert sat up with some pain, wincing as he clutched his shattered ribs.   
“Meg-” Dan began but was once again silenced by another kiss.  
“I love you too. Goodbye, Danny.” the tears streamed freely down her cheeks now. Dan nearly lifted up Herbert, hastily opening the ground floor window as Megan stepped into the hall to buy them time. Her parting gift made all the difference as Dan was able to drag the half-dead man beside him to the car. Megan had lost everything that day, but still, she stood strong as she faced the torrent of chaos in the hall and prepared to begin her life anew.


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Herbert is barely lucid enough for conversation, but with a bit more reagent, Dan sees a more human side to Herbert.

Dan didn’t stop driving even long after Miskatonic was a blur in his rearview mirror. His knuckles were white on the steering wheel, gritting his teeth to keep the tears from spilling down his face. Beside him, Herbert dipped in and out of consciousness, never remaining lucid enough to truly speak, just looking at Dan with drooping eyes and a slack jaw which occasionally murmured his name before slipping away again.   
The idea that Herbert may remain this lethargic, zombified man terrified Dan. Had he really abandoned everything just to have this as his companion? After hearing Herbert seem so coherent in the hospital, he’d expected that the re-animation was a complete success. It wasn’t until they’d made it nearly two states away from the massacre that Dan was forced to pull over. His adrenaline had finally worn down and he needed both rest and to assess what was happening to Herbert.   
The re-animated West looked to him with cloudy eyes just behind his cracked glasses.  
“Dammit, Herbert, what’s wrong with you?” Dan’s voice cracked with frustration from the seemingly blank gaze he was receiving.   
“Higher dosage.” Herbert droned.  
“Why the hell- whatever. Come here.” he tugged the smaller man over who winced from the rough handling. After a moment of digging through the bag, Dan sat back up with a bottle of reagent and pushed the needle through the rubber stopper, “How much?”  
“2 ccs.” Herbert’s eyes were unfocused despite his best attempts to watch Dan shakily filling the syringe. He didn’t even flinch when the needle broke his skin, mouth still agape with spittle clinging to his chapped lips as he heaved a deep sigh. The result was nearly instantaneous, Herbert shuddering and making an amalgamation of sputters and groans before snapping upright. A sense of unease settled over Dan when he saw Herbert’s calm smile settle his ragged face.  
“Now, that’s much better.” the smaller man confirmed, sitting up with a wince as he seemed to fully register the damage from Hill’s attack for the first time.   
“Why did you need more than an average man?” Dan asked, trying to shake his suspicion that he may be only ruining his life worse.  
“I suppose I’ve built up something of an immunity to it.” Herbert suggested, “From over exposure.”  
“Good Lord, Herbert, how haven’t you died before?”  
“Luck, I suppose,” his quip was cut off with a cringe and a soft whimper, “My ribs-shit-my ribs are nearly shattered.”  
“I haven’t treated them.” moving his hand into the backseat, Dan became harshly aware of the fact he had very few medical supplies to patch Herbert up and even less in the way of food or money.   
“We should find somewhere to stay,” he decided, “I can patch you up in a motel better than in the car.”  
“Check my bag, the lining is loose at the seams.” Herbert suggested, “I have some of Dr. Gruber’s inheritance in there.”  
Sure enough, the lining was easily pulled from the leather exterior to reveal multiple roles of cash sealed within.  
“Why is this all hidden?” Dan asked as he extracted two $20 bills.   
“Dr. Gruber always advised me to keep some money hidden, as well as my studies. I suppose he was paranoid after having Hill steal his work.” Herbert explained as he elected to recline in the seat with only a bit of difficulty. His breathing was shallow, “Dr. Gruber was an amazing man. A genius.”  
“You really cared for him.” Dan noted, hesitantly starting the car and continuing their drive.  
“He was… like a father.” the smaller man admitted with a hushed tone. The confession would have seemed only kind from anyone else, but from Herbert, it felt like he was sharing something unbelievably intimate. There was silence for a bit, Dan unsure how to respond and Herbert simply keeping his eyes trained on the ceiling of the car.   
“I’m sorry for your loss.” the words felt hollow, but Dan wasn’t sure what else to say.  
“Are you? Or are you simply sorry you don’t know how to make me stop grieving?”   
Dan winced at the harsh tone, “Really, Herb, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you two were so close.”  
“Yes, well… no one did,” Herbert rolled his head to the side, resting it on his hand to watch the side of the highway zoom past, “I’ve never been very skilled at admitting my emotions as many others do. I suppose I’m just glad I had the chance to before his passing.”  
“Did you know he was going to die?”   
A dry smile crossed his face, “I did, in fact. I was there when he died. Many think I murdered him.”  
“And you didn’t.” Dan concluded, earning a bit of a harsh glare from him.  
“No, Daniel, I didn’t kill him,” his voice was calculated, unwilling to give away too much of his frustration, “Dr. Gruber… took his own life for the sake of testing our reagent.”  
There was silence as Herbert waited for Dan’s response, but the taller man was unsure how to respond so he simply kept his eyes locked on the road ahead as Herbert continued on.  
“He had such confidence that it would work. He ingested a compound that stopped his heart nearly instantly and painlessly. I do not think I’ll ever forget the last thing he said to me. ‘In three years I don’t think I’ve ever told you that I love you like a son, and have taken pride in your achievements that I never thought I would experience’. And just like that, he took the solution and was gone.”  
Now, silence hung in the car. Neither knew what to say, or if there was truly anything to say. After what felt like an eternity had passed, Dan finally tried to offer comfort.  
“Herbert, I-” he was caught off by the soft sound of snores, the young scientist’s chest rising and falling gently. A soft chuckle escaped his lips, “Yeah, you probably need some sleep. I don’t think you’ve ever gotten any before.”


	3. 3

Despite the handsome amount of money that Herbert had, Dan elected to rent a less than high-class hotel room. The receptionist seemed bored, even as Dan very poorly tried to hide his mounting anxiety and blood caked clothing. Working in a hotel with peeling paint and a persistent scent of cheap tobacco made her less likely to judge. And with the fact she saw him walking a second man to their single bedroom, she suspected the wrong reason as to why he was so nervous.   
Herbert nearly collapsed onto the bed, biting back pained groans as he did so.   
“Just give me a second and I’ll get you fixed up,” Dan promised, rifling through the medical bag and pulling out two bandages.  
“We’ll have to stop by the store,” he spoke aloud as he wrapped Herbert’s exposed chest with one of the bandages, “Get pain medicine, maybe some new clothes, and food.”  
Herbert nodded, cringing from the pressure on his abdomen, “When did you last eat?”  
Dan looked up from his work, brow creased, “Uh… that sandwich you made me after Dean Halsey…”  
“Daniel, that was nearly two days ago.” His voice was gentle but chiding. Dan decided not to comment on the fact that Herbert hadn’t eaten in at least that long, “We should go get you some food. Then you can rest.”  
“Herb, I don’t think you understand that you’re not really in a good state to be left alone or taken with me.” Dan finished wrapping his torso and placed a hand very briefly over the exposed skin on his stomach. The smaller man’s skin was so cold and Dan’s touch only sent goosebumps up his sides.  
“Fine, then we can sleep and tomorrow, we can go for breakfast,” Herbert spoke with authority, but they both knew he wasn’t the one currently in charge. Dan nodded in affirmation, standing from the bed and pulling his soiled tank top off before his jeans quickly followed. Herbert seemed hesitant to lie down, obviously still used to his lifestyle of never sleeping if possible but having Dan lay next to him quelled his concerns. He shucked off his already open and torn button up before gingerly lying down and removing his glasses. It wasn’t long before both were asleep on their own sides of the bed. Had someone told Dan a week ago that he would be in a one-star hotel with a zombie sharing his bed, there’s no way he would have believed them. But life only seemed to get stranger and stranger when one was in the company of the queer Herbert West.  
***  
Warm sunlight graced Herbert’s pale skin the next morning. The small man sat up with little pain and turned to where his companion had been when he fell asleep to find Dan was gone. Along with this discovery, Herbert became aware of the sound of the shower running and decided that he should simply lie back and wait for him to finish. Dan re-entered the room, a towel draped over his shoulders and his hair dark with moisture. He was wearing the same jeans as yesterday, the blood having thankfully dried to an unsightly brown, looking more like smeared earth than the result of a massacre.   
“Daniel.” Herbert’s voice was a bit meeker than he intended, his olive eyes straining to look up at the man without his glasses.  
“Don’t worry, you can shower next.” Dan assured him as he used the towel to dry his hair, “But we have to go to the store and get some new clothing today. All I’ve got are these jeans, my ruined tank top and a pair of scrubs.”  
“I suppose it’s best to keep a low profile by not appearing in blood-caked clothing.” Herbert remarked as he placed his cracked glasses on his nose, “And, as soon as we can, I’d appreciate a new pair of glasses. Have you eaten yet?”  
“I only just got up.” Dan reminded him, “And I doubt this place has room service. As soon as you’re ready, we can go to the store.”   
West nodded, fully registering how groggy he was. His head felt clouded, his limbs heavy with exhaustion. He wanted reagent. He needed the boost. But there stood Dan, a man who had given up everything in his life for Herbert. And he couldn’t bear the idea of adding more stress to his already back-breaking load.   
‘Overexposure’ he had told him. That’s why he had built up an immunity, although he was not entirely forward with what ‘overexposure’ meant. As he developed his serum, he’d used dulled amounts on himself, simply for the effects that kept his mind sharp and his body energetic. And now, he was reliant on it. Like an itch he couldn’t reach, his body begged for the life-giving injection.   
“Dan?” his voice quivered a bit, “Dan, I-I need more reagent.”  
“What are you talking about? You’re fine.” Dan waved him off, “You’re as alive as they get.”  
“D-dan, please.” any facade of normality was broken when his voice cracked, “Dan, I really n-need it.”  
This gave Cain a moment of pause, turning to look at him, “What’s wrong with you? You never treated any of the other bodies like this.”  
“I’m different.”  
“That’s an understatement.” he resisted the urge to laugh at the absurdity, “What are you hiding, Herb?”  
His brow creased at the nickname but if it bothered him, he didn’t mention it, “I’m reliant on it.”  
“And the other bodies weren’t why?”  
“B-Because they only had it post mortem. I’ve b-been more than over e-exposed.” his eyes fell, unwilling to meet Dan’s as the realization dawned on his face.  
“Wait, are you using this stuff on yourself?” his tone was accusatory in a way he hadn’t intended, but Herbert flinched away regardless.  
“It is a d-diluted solution. Simply s-sharpens the senses, eliminates the need to sleep or eat.” He explained. Dan brushed his hand through his still-damp hair, eyes wide with wonder.   
“You’re crazy.” He decided, “You cannot live like this.”  
“I-I need it!” West insisted, trembling, “I-I’ll go into withdrawal!”  
“Herbert, you’re acting like a damn junkie.” he snapped, silencing any protest the other man may have. With his head hung low in a moping pose, Dan felt a bit guilty for his harsh reaction, however, he felt it was a necessity. In spite of his kicked puppy routine, the larger man wasn't going to budge on his belief that the reagent was causing Herbert more harm than good.  
“Daniel, I-” He began to protest again but was met with his cold glare, jaw taught. This hushed Herbert for at least the moment, his shame evident in his slumped posture and defeated expression.  
“Look… we can discuss this after breakfast.” Dan told him softly, offering one of his hands to help the injured man up, “I won’t lose you after everything.”


	4. 4

The pair already looked ragged and exhausted as they approached the fast-food restaurant closest to their hotel. Dan still appeared mud-caked whereas Herbert looked like he’d been to hell and back (which, Dan thought, perhaps he had), clutching his medical bag to his chest like his life depended on it.   
“Stay here.” He said sternly, “I’m going to get us something to eat. Please, for the love of all things holy, don’t cause more problems.”  
With those parting words, Dan took a wad of cash from Herbert’s bag and went inside of the establishment. As soon as he was out of sight, Herbert let out a long sigh and leaned his head on the hard bricks of the alleyway, doing his best to relax. He was agitated, jumpy, and irritable in a cocktail of bullshit after the past few days. The withdrawal was settling in along with the fact he hadn’t had a meal in who knows how long, giving him the air of an irritated toddler who was suffering from heatstroke. And yet, his day was about to become significantly worse.   
Without Dan’s imposing structure, Herbert appeared much more vulnerable. With his trembling visage, compact height, and scrawny frame, it was no wonder someone would attempt to take his bag. It happened far faster than he would be able to process even on a good day. Someone was wrestling the bag from his slender arms, spitting obscenities as they did. His mind was already in a fog and this attack did little to clear it more than just sending alarm bells echoing in his ears. Something kicked in, any rational thought he’d had falling to the wayside in favour of this savage desire. With more strength than anyone would have imagined he could muster, West shoved the attacker back into the wall. His assailant should have been able to win without issue since he appeared to be a healthy young man, but in the blink of an eye, Herbert had him by the shoulders. With a series of violent thrashes, he assured the stranger’s head clashed with the wall multiple times until he resisted no longer.   
His adrenaline high was beginning to wear off as he stepped back and became all too aware of approaching footsteps. Moving quickly, he did as he always did. His hands trembled as he administered the reagent into this unwilling subject. Before the corpse so much as moved, he heard Dan’s shocked voice.  
“Herb- oh, shit, what happened?” the bag of fast food slipped from Dan’s hand, his eyes wide.  
“H-he attacked me, Dan!” His voice cracked with the anxiety of the situation, “He tried to steal my bag! Everything I have is in there!”  
“Oh, shit, we’re going to have to get the cops involved… we’re definitely going to be linked to Miskatonic.” Dan worked over it aloud, dragging his hand through his hair multiple times as he considered their possibilities.  
But there were none, as Herbert had already made a decision. With a sinking feeling where surprise should have been, Dan watched the assailant’s body begin to rise. There was always something about the eyes of those they re-animated incorrectly. They were glazed over and unfocused, seemingly looking at you and seeing nothing at the same time. An animalistic sound ripped from the newly re-animated creature’s throat as he lunged forward. Dan was barely able to fend off his attack, struggling to keep him at an arm’s distance. With a defiant howl, Dan forced all of his strength into shoving back the corpse until it collided with the bricks once again. Before he could use another jab to at least knock the wind from him, the reanimated dead landed a blow on his throat. Dan stumbled back, eyes wide as he held his neck, struggling to breathe. Seeing his dazed reaction, the dead took the opportunity to lunge at him. The two of them barreled over, Dan groaning when he hit the pavement. He was given no time to process before the zombie went back to pummeling him, battering his head with one fist whilst the other pinned him by the throat. His vision began to fade from the restriction of his air supply but before the darkness took over, Dan became aware of Herbert standing over them.  
Everything was a blur to Dan. He was vaguely aware of the body’s weight collapsing atop him before it was rolled aside. Pieces of the puzzle swam around him; light glinted off of someone’s glasses, being pulled to his feet, his leg hurting like hell, but all of these things seemed to be hidden in a fog of near unconsciousness. It wasn’t until a shock of pain burst through his body that he became more aware of his surroundings. If it had not been for Herbert’s support at his side, Dan would have collapsed there. Nausea rolled his stomach and he looked down to see his foot was jarred awkwardly to the side, the ankle visibly damaged. The sight nearly made him faint but he was forced to continue an awkward stride through the alleyway with most of his weight crushing Herbert down.  
Whether the walk was only a minute or an hour, Dan couldn’t tell. His head was swimming with pain by the time they reached the hotel room. With Herbert’s assistance, Dan managed to sit on the bed and let out a sigh of relief before succumbing to his fatigue. By the time he awoke, the window no longer gave sunlight, now holding the piss coloured hue of cheap street lamps. He heaved a sigh, closing his burning eyes.  
“Herbert? Where are you?” Dan murmured, but no answer came. Despite the screaming of his abdomen, the medical student forced himself to sit up and look around the room. In the opposite corner of the room, Herbert was curled up, dwarfed by his black duster. His steady breathing and relaxed posture made it evident he was asleep. Despite everything, Dan took this as a good sign. If he was sleeping, that meant that even without Dan’s supervision, Herbert hadn’t relapsed into using the reagent again. Momentarily forgetting his physical state, Cain began to move from the bed but was halted by a throbbing pain in his abdomen, drawing a pained gasp from him.  
Herbert’s eyes fluttered open at the sound, “Dan? Are you okay?”  
“I’m fine, Herb.” Dan cringed as he placed a hand against his chest and found it tightly bandaged.   
“You likely need a change of bandages.” he decided regardless of Dan’s answer. The former medical student couldn’t muster a reason to protest so he simply sat up straighter when Herbert appeared at his side. There was silence as he worked, peeling back the blood-drenched bandages from his partner’s chest, giving Dan a chance to fully register his surroundings. They were certainly in the same hotel room as before. On the table lay the fast-food bag, long since forgotten, in addition to what remained of Dan’s now shredded tank top. Herbert had moved from unwrapping his chest to working on his ankle which had taken the brunt of the force.  
“You’ve sustained lacerations to the pectoral and abdominal dermis, seemingly from the assailant’s nails, mild head trauma from blunt force impact and your left ankle has a transverse compact fracture in the fibula.” He explained in a way that was ridiculously formal for the situation, “Not to mention the obvious bruising and near asphyxiation.”  
“How long was I out?” He inquired, dreading the answer.  
“Only a few hours.” Herbert assured him, Dan allowing himself a sigh of relief, “I think the damage to your chest is deeper than I’d originally thought.”  
“How bad?”   
“Ah,” Herbert sat back, pushing his glasses up on his nose, “You’ll likely need sutures, which I can do, but we don’t have any kind of local anesthetic.”  
“I can handle it.” Dan insisted, earning a concerned expression from Herbert but a nod of approval nonetheless. Herbert’s gentle features were always so taut with concentration that gave him a more professional air. But as he watched him carefully thread his needle and work ever so gentle with the silk thread, Dan began to realize he was infatuated with Herbert’s relaxed state. He so rarely saw it that each time he saw the calm state, it felt like a secretive treat.   
His thoughts were scattered when he felt the thing needle pierce the outermost layer of his skin, Herbert’s delicate hands holding the split flesh together as he worked. The precision he worked with was hypnotic, the pain fading to accommodate his fascination with how smoothly West moved. His eyes clung to Herbert’s nimble and capable fingers as he finished stitching shut the last of the larger lacerations.   
“Daniel, what’s wrong?” Herbert looked up at him, olive eyes warm, “Did I hurt you?”  
Dan looked down at his own torso, becoming aware of the fact Herbert had entirely finished his stitching, leaving lines of puckered flesh trailing over his chest.   
“Dan?” he asked again, seeming a bit more concerned now, “Really, what’s wrong?”  
“Nothing,” Dan assured him softly, realizing as he met his eyes and held his gaze that this was more than he had bargained for. Herbert nodded slowly, obviously not believing him but electing to return to his work. He wrapped the stitches in silence, eyes narrowed to focus.   
This was different to Dan. Different than anything he’d felt before. It had the same stomach-churning fear mixed with excitement that he had felt for Meg, but was still strange and new. This ache in his chest was simultaneously familiar and unique at the same time.   
“Herbert?” his voice seemed to have a mind of its own, “May I kiss you?”  
Herbert’s head shot up at this, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape, “Dan?”  
Shame poured down his body, snapping him back to reality as his face became rosy with humiliation, “Fuck, I don’t know what I’m saying.”  
“No, no, it’s okay,” Herbert insisted, “I don’t mind.”   
Saying this, he moved closer, his porcelain skin flushed with the same embarrassed red as Dan’s. It felt stupid, utterly ridiculous and pointless, but Dan dared to try. With a hand on his jaw to guide him, Dan gently brought their lips together. Herbert’s inexperience was palpable, his chapped lips stiff and unsure. After a heartbeat, he relaxed into it, allowing himself to nearly melt into Dan’s embrace. When they finally pulled apart, both were too shocked by their own actions to react. It wasn’t until Dan allowed himself an uncomfortable chuckle that they both unwound. The sheer absurdity of everything had struck him and he laughed softly, Herbert giving a shy grin as well.  
“You wouldn’t believe how long I’ve wanted that,” Herbert admitted, unsure if he could meet his eyes. This surprised Dan a bit more than it should have, his shocked expression making Herbert retreat a bit.  
“You… didn’t.” Herbert deducted, “I see.”  
“I did,” Dan assured him, “I just… I guess I just figured it out.”  
“Well?” Herbert cleared his throat, turning his head away so he didn’t have to meet his gaze.  
“Look at me, Herbert,” his voice was soft but this was obviously an order, not a suggestion. Herbert turned to look into his oak coloured eyes, jaw tensed. Dan dared another chaste kiss, easing him into letting down his guard a bit. When they finally broke apart, Dan rested his forehead on Herbert’s.  
Their lips still close enough he could feel his breath, Dan made a confession, “I love you. I really love you.”


End file.
